Obama's Immigration Announcement

Trending News: Obama Just Made The Biggest Immigration Statement Since Reagan

Why Is This Important?

Because immigration is (and likely always will be) a hot-button election issue.

Long Story Short

Last night, President Barack Obama announced what some consider some of the most sweeping immigration reforms since the Reagan era: Nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants (both parents of U.S.-born children and undocumented immigrants who arrived as children) may remain here and can apply for jobs, drivers licenses and file legal transactions without fear of deportation.

Long Story

For being a lame duck president, Obama sure seems busy as he enters the final stretch: Last night he announced an executive order that would grant a reprieve from deportation for specific groups of immigrants: Parents who immigrated illegally and had children in the U.S., and parents of those who immigrated illegally as children. Estimates put the total number of those qualifying for deportation relief at around 5 million.

"Today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it," Obama said, also urging those affected that "You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law."

The order isn’t blanket amnesty, which even Obama conceded would be unfair. There are millions not protected by it, including adult men who came here illegally and undocumented parents of children granted visas through 2012’s DREAM Act.

While some (mainly Republicans) fear the announcement will result in a surge of undocumented immigrants at our border, Obama claims the opposite — with the deportation of families being a non-issue, interior customs enforcement can be redirected to the border, strengthening our defenses. Remaining immigration/customs enforcement will focus on deporting criminals and gang members.

"Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger – we were strangers once, too," Obama said.

Twitter’s reactions, as always, were mixed:

So after last night's knockdown immigration speech I'm wondering if WH will get the politics right—for a change http://t.co/MXZE8QSplk

Update: John Boehner has announced that Republicans will file suit to combat the President's actions. It's as of yet unclear on what grounds. Boehner's statement:

"Time after time, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American people and re-write federal law on his own without a vote of Congress. That's not the way our system of government was designed to work. If this president can get away with making his own laws, future presidents will have the ability to as well. The House has an obligation to stand up for the Constitution, and that is exactly why we are pursuing this course of action."

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Is Obama within his legal rights to do this? Experts seem conflicted…

Disrupt Your Feed: At this point, I’m not sure whether to think of Obama as a savior or a dictator.